All things must come to an end
by dinocade
Summary: From Boston to Salt Lake City and further, Ellie looks back on our familiar story from her new home at the dam, where she lives with Joel. She begins to learn that, despite everything, life goes on. And it's beautiful. RATED T For Mild Language and violence. Implied Joel/Ellie. INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE GAME.
1. Chapter 1

Being born six years after the initial outbreak, you often had to wonder, what was life like before all this?

Marlene told you a thing or to. Not enough to go off of. Just stories. There were unfamiliar details within them, but you nodded and went along with it. Asking what every other thing was would just be bothersome.

You knew about work. Obviously. People still worked today. And school, you knew a bit about. You went to school for a bit, but it was mostly bullshit. Algebra and Grammar wouldn't save you from infected.

It was just shocking, was all. The fact that people could roam the streets unarmed, without a care in the world. That the worlds population was billions. Billions! Where now it was...What? A couple hundred? A thousand maybe?

Joel was helpful when it came to not knowing things. He always knew how to explain them without making you feel like a dumbass. Sometimes, you think it helped him too. Memories made him smile.

You remember when memories ceased to do anything but stiffen his expression, make his heart of stone seem colder than ever. That was the old Joel.

You can't place when it happened. After Tess died, when you saved him in Pittsburgh, when you were separated in the sewers, when Sam died...

You couldn't fool yourself into thinking it was a specific time. You knew it wasn't. You both grew on each other along the way, that's just how it was.

Summer's nights were tense. Full of anger, not at one another, but all that you had endured. There were sleepless nights, where you'd listen to each other breathe. It wasn't what you were trying to hear. But it was better than hearing infected. After a while, maybe, just maybe, it was even calming.

Sometimes you'd sit up, wide awake, watching out the window as fireflies flickered their lights. Some nights, when it was pitch black out, they would look like decorative lights on trees. Almost like...Damn, what were they called?

Christmas trees. That was it.

Fall began in sorrow, and the end of it wasn't different.

Sam woke up infected, and was killed by his own brother. Henry, in a fit of rage and fear and guilt and God knows what else, he killed himself.

You and Joel had buried them in Wyoming, by a river that flowed with rapids that terrified you. Joel really needed to teach you how to swim.

Further up the river, was a hydro-something or other. A power plant, powered by, you got it, water.

That's when Joel found Tommy.

The two of you had stayed, until you overheard something that broke you.

Tommy and Joel were talking, and about you. You didn't hear everything, but when Joel pleaded and Tommy said he would 'take her', you knew what it meant.

Joel was handing you off. He knew Tommy was a Firefly, knew he'd know better how to get you to the rest of them.

It made perfect sense, but at the same time ceased to make any. Why would Joel hand you off? After everything you'd been through? You felt anxious and scared.

You wanted to run away.

You made sure no one was around before dashing to the main area and unstrapping one of the horses from his post. You jumped onto his back and dashed from the gate, away to somewhere far and desolate.

It had hurt, when Joel had found you and had expected you to leave without another word. Did he even understand? Or was he just that much of a jackass? You had raised your voice, and his had raised as well. And you weren't done yelling. It didn't hurt. Not until he said it.

"You're right. You ain't my daughter. And I sure as hell ain't your dad."

You knew it to be true. You knew that Sarah, the girl Maria told you about, was his one and only daughter. That she was dead, and Joel still loved her more than anything.

The fact that you were jealous of that made you feel nauseated. Of course he would miss her. It was his daughter. He raised her and loved her only to lose her.

You couldn't explain the jealousy. You just – You loved Joel. Loved him like the father you never knew. With your parents dead, what else was there? Marlene?

There was just Joel. You loved Joel.

The ride back was quiet, but not peaceful, certainly not serene. Just sad. Lonely, almost.

When the three of you stood upon the cliff, overlooking the power plant, Joel surprised you. Tommy too. Maybe even himself.

He told Tommy to stay with his wife, with his people. He told you to get on the horse with him, and you didn't hesitate.

Tommy seemed dumbfounded, though, he didn't question Joel's decision.

You rode onward, towards the University. When the Fall air began to chill, Joel didn't mind you wrapping your arms around him. It was nice.

The Winter was numb. It held catastrophes, mistakes, and memories you wanted to forget.

While hunting for food and supplies, Callus was your only companion. Joel would stay behind, barely conscious. You had found a fairly stable house. There was a mattress that didn't seem too gross. And a comforter. You allowed him both, sleeping beside him on the floor.

One day, while hunting a deer, you stumbled upon something unexpected.

David.

Something had seemed off about him since the moment you first laid eyes on him. But he offered medicine in exchange for the deer, and Joel's condition was too important to trust your instinct. You kept your bow raised, arrow pointed right between his eyes. Until you instructed him to hand over his rifle. You rigged your bow onto your back, holding the gun in it's place.

When he had suggested going inside for shelter from the cold, you felt uneasy, but nodded, requesting that he carry the deer.

Infected came. You fought them off. He ended up having a pistol. Knowing he lied about that made you feel sicker.

When his friend returned, he pointed his gun at you. He had just finished a sentence that made your heart stop.

"My men were killed by a crazy man. A crazy man...running around with a little girl."

He told his friend to give you the medicine. You took it and ran.

The next two days were absolute hell.

You were kept in a cage and nearly butchered, and then, if it couldn't get worse -

He tried to -

…

But it didn't matter. It didn't matter because Joel saved you. He got you out of there. He held you and promised to take care of you, and whether it was right then or long before, it was then that you knew Joel loved you too.

Spring came within a blink's time. You weren't ready.

"Salt Lake City."

You had come all this way, and you wanted to do this.

You just weren't ready.

Along the way, you ended up in some water. You blacked out.

You don't remember much after that.

Consistent beeps. Calm, but hushed voices around you.

You couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even open your eyes. All you had to prove you were awake was a sense of awareness. For all you knew, you could have been dreaming. There was just something that spoke to you, told you that it couldn't be.

Their tones became worried, but you didn't know why.

You didn't really care either.

You just wanted to know where Joel was.

You heard gunshots in the distance, and there was no mistaking it. You'd heard enough to know. They got closer and closer, and you vaguely wondered if you'd be shot. Would it hurt?

You hear three gunshots, all around you. But feel nothing. Maybe death was painless.

But then you felt arms around you, lifting you up. The feeling was warm, reassuring.

Joel.

There were only two more gunshots. You don't remember anything else.

That all felt like such a long time ago.

You had a home now, with Joel.

It was at the power plant, with Tommy and Maria, and everyone else.

It felt, as you once said, surreal.

To not have to constantly live in fear, to have routines, responsibilities, a life.

You didn't want it this way.

No, that wasn't right -

You just weren't used to this. Every once in a while, when the dam was attacked, you'd spring up, grab your guns, and head out with Joel and the other men. That was closest you got to action anymore. And sometimes you couldn't even do that. The women in the town would scold Joel and Tommy because, 'Oh no, you can't let her fight! She's just a child!'. Bitches.

But this was your life now. And you'd have to get used to it.

At least Joel was by your side.


	2. Chapter 2

You were never particularly talented. Never could sing or dance, never could do much of anything. Not that there was much to do in this kind of world, but still.

You remember being back in the zone, at the Military Boarding School. There weren't a lot of other kids (Marlene once said classes had twenty to thirty kids, and schools alone had hundreds!), but nearly everyone there could do _something_ well.

That's probably why you liked Riley so much.

The two of you were stuck like glue, both talentless losers slowly watching the world burn – Even though the fire started a long time ago. You'd sneak out at night, at first against your will, past the soldiers and into abandoned parts of the city. At first, it was pretty scary, but being with Riley just reassured you.

Until that day.

You remember it more clearly than you want to.

_"It'll be fine, Ellie. Now come on."_

_ "Riley...I'm not so sure about this place."_

_ It was the middle of the night, the abandoned shopping mall chilled with Autumn air that seeped through broken windows. You followed behind her, constantly turning around, sure that you had heard something. But each time, nothing was there._

_ "Riley -"_

_ "Ellie, if you'd just listen to me -"_

_ "No! I'm leaving."_

_ "Fine, see if I care." _

_ You remember her turning around, continuing forward. You began to walk away, but got too scared of returning on your own and jogged back to her side._

_ "Riley, I'm sorry, look, let's just go soon and then -"_

_ Suddenly, she was standing straight up, index finger against her lip, signaling for you to shut the hell up._

_ 'What.' You mouth._

_ Her response isn't needed, because suddenly, a horrifying shriek breaks the silence, and you turn to see three – No, four – Five, six, seven – FUCK._

_ You were frozen in fear, and she grabbed you. You blink, running along side her, up the powered-down escalators, into one of the shops. You hid behind the counter, closing your eyes tightly, trying to block out the sounds of ragged breath and clicks. It felt like you were sitting there for hours. And maybe you were. Who knew. Staring up at the ceiling, the navy blue sky had the slightest pink tint and -_

_ "Ellie, I'm gonna go see if they're gone."_

_ You blink, not thinking twice about it. Riley knew what she was doing. You nodded._

_ You sit up, on your knees, peering over the counter and watching her slowly move forward, into the large doorway of the shop. She looks around the noticeably lighter area, and finally, turns around to look at you, letting out a small laugh._

_ "They're all gone. See, I told you everything would be-" She's cut off as one of them runs, seemingly out of nowhere, and grabs her._

_ "Riley!" You scream, jumping the counter and running forward. But she's a step ahead of you, escaping it's grip and sprinting to the other side of the shopping mall, you follow, looking back multiple times, and it seemed like each time you did, there were more. You began to grow tired from running in constant circles, and you feel your body slowing. You couldn't keep going. It felt like the world was slowing around you – And you stop. Seeing Riley's no longer running in front of you._

_ When you turn around, it bends down, nearly biting your neck and – You back away quickly, bringing out your switchblade and stabbing it in the eye. It falls down, and you feel too terrified to be pleased with yourself. You see Riley now, fighting one of them off. And just as she gets it, there's another one – One of the fucked up ones, right behind her._

_ "RILEY!" _

_ It screeches and ignores her, running towards you. And you're lunging, switchblade in hand, and -_

_ It bites your wrist. And you fall to the ground, yelling in agony, and then it's on you, and you're trying to get it off but it's strong and – Suddenly it's dead._

_ You see Riley standing above you, a horrified expression on her face as she pulls out her own knife._

_ Her expression only intensifies when she sees your wound. _

_ "Shit, come on, Ellie." She takes your hand and the two of you are running, out the exit and against the outer walls. You sink down, and she does too, both of you breathing heavily and out of sync. _

_ Finally, she responds to the world around her. She picks up your wounded arm and inspects it. Her expression shakes, like she's trying not to cry. Yours is the same. _

_ She rolls up her sleeve, and shows that she has the same._

_ "I got bit when I went to check. I'm such an idiot."_

_ You don't say anything. You just hug her. She laughs, the most pathetic, half-hearted laugh in the world. _

_ "I can't believe this."_

_ "What should we do?" You finally ask, though you don't want to know the answer._

_ She takes a while to respond, but when she does, she says..._

_ "Let's just wait it out, you know? We can be all poetic and just lose our minds together."_

_ A few minutes later she died. It didn't take long for her to come back, infected._

_ You killed her with your switchblade, which reduced you to a sobbing mess of a girl. You waited for hours, but you never turned. _

"Ellie." Joel repeats himself. You jump back, reality coming into focus again.

"Yeah? What?"

He sighs, like he doesn't want to repeat himself.

"I asked if you wanted to do more swimming today or tomorrow."

"Oh." You consider it. Thinking about the past was making you feel a little sick. Swimming didn't sound particularly fantastic right now.

"Can we do tomorrow?" He looks disappointed, but he nods.

"Yeah, sure thing."

AN: hey guys! thanks so much for the reviews on my last chapter, and also, sorry this ones way shorter! just a quick side note too, I have NOT read the american dreams comics, so I have no idea if rileys death and the whole mall thing is correct, or if it even happens in the comics, so, if im wrong just let me know and a link to them would be fantastic. Until then enjoy!

EDIT: sorry about the lack of punctuation marks before, not sure why it uploaded that way!


	3. Chapter 3

It had been nearly a month since Salt Lake City, though it felt like much longer. You were having a difficult time adjusting to life at the dam. The other townspeople were strange, most of them religious nuts or people who pretended to be oblivious to life out _there._ It was sickening, honestly. The only people you really felt comfortable around were Tommy and Maria. And Joel, obviously.

The two of you shared a house together. It was a small place, just two rooms. A bathroom and a bedroom. Well, by a bedroom, you mean two mattresses on the floor, a desk, and crooked picture frames on peeling wallpaper. It wasn't much more than any other place here, but it was definitely enough.

There was a window in the main room with shattered glass in the bottom frame. The breeze that came through in the nights chilled you, and bugs occasionally got in, but it wasn't too bad. Joel said he'd board it up in the winter, and take it down again in the spring. It sounded alright to you.

You sat on your mattress, reading through a book that Maria had lent to you. Harry Potter. There was a whole series of them. Apparently, when she was in High School, they were really popular. She said she'd been on the fourth book when the outbreak happened. She was lucky to find the rest in abandoned libraries and bookstores since then, and she's read them dozens of times now.

You flip to the last page, reading it slowly, embracing the end, as Joel came through the door. He eyed the book and chuckled.

"Harry Potter, huh?"

"Yeah, Maria let me borrow it," You say, not looking up as you read the last line. You smile, closing the book, "I really like it. How fucking cool would it be if wizards were real?"

He smiles, and sits next to you, taking the book from your hands and inspecting the worn hard cover.

"Never did read these things. Sarah used to tell me I was missing out."

"She was right. They're awesome. Hey, I'm gonna go ask Maria for the second one. I'll be back later, alright?"

He nods, picking up the acoustic sitting in the corner and taking a seat, plucking away and tuning it.

You leave, closing the door behind you and making your way through the small city. It was weird, passing by people who didn't have a care in the world, not having your gun equipped(though it was rested in the back of your jeans, in case an attack happened), and doing something as normal as seeing a friend and borrowing a book. It was weird to adjust to, but it was happening.

You arrive at Tommy and Maria's, knocking on the door. Tommy answers, and lets you in with a small greeting and a smile. He eyes the book you're holding.

"Maria, Ellie's here."

Maria enters the room, walking over and wrapping her arms around you. The first time she hugged you, it was strange. It happened when you guys returned, after Salt Lake City. Although surprised, they seemed...Relieved that you and Joel had returned. Ever since then, the two of you had become close. Almost like sisters.

"You finished it already?" She asks, sounding rather surprised, "Didn't I just give it to you yesterday?"

"Day before, actually. God, Maria, is your memory going already?" You ask, grinning.

"Not yet, I hope!" She laughs, and guides you into the other room. There were multiple bookshelves in there, where she kept her 'prized possessions', as she called them.

"Let's see then..." She takes your book, and hands you the next. 'The Chamber of Secrets'.

It was only slightly longer than the rest, and from eying the bookshelf, it seemed that they just got longer each time.

You hear a high-pitched noise from the kitchen, and she walks in, turning off the kettle.

"Want some tea?" She calls. You enter the room, sitting at the small table within.

"Sure."

She pours herself a cup before pouring yours. You take a sip. Black Tea. Your favorite was Chamomile, even though it made you pass out.

"So, you liked it?" She asks, hopeful.

"Yeah, I did. The concept's really cool. Like, a whole school just for wizards?"

"And witches." She adds, winking and taking a sip of her tea.

"Yeah!" You reply, "It's kind of awesome. I wish I was a wizard. I'd fuckin' destroy this infection. Make the world normal again."

Things get silent. Clearly, she thinks of Salt Lake City. You do too.

What happened there?

To this day, Joel won't tell you. He'll say they stopped looking for a cure, that they didn't need you. It's what he always said. It just felt so empty. That couldn't be it. Everything you sacrificed, was it really for nothing?

Sometimes, the way Tommy and Maria acted around you, you wondered if they knew something you didn't.

Breaking the silence, Tommy enters the room.

"Ladies," He greets the both of you, kissing Maria on the cheek and offering you a warm smile, "Ellie, it's movie night tonight. The other kids will be there. Are you going?"

The townspeople were always doing this, attempting to persuade you to hang out with the other kids. It was stupid that they even tried, because you weren't going to. They were all a bunch of stuck-up, idiotic brats. They always looked at you like you were a monster, what, just because you mysteriously came and went until finally staying, and with a man who wasn't even your father. And because you fought alongside the men here. You didn't want to know what these kids' parents probably told them.

"Nah, probably just gonna hang out with Joel. He's gonna teach me more guitar."

Tommy nods, smiling, though it didn't seem genuine. It was almost disappointed, whether it was in you or Joel, you didn't know. In you, for not attempting to make connections, or with Joel, for keeping you from them. If it was the latter, he was just wrong. Joel even tried to convince you sometimes, but he was smart enough to back off when you said no.

You finish your tea, thank Maria, and head back home. On your way, you watch almost everyone gather in the center of the town, where a generator was running, connecting to a projector and a big screen. You rolled your eyes. Movies probably couldn't even compare to books.

"I'm hooome," You say, exaggerating the word as you swing open the door. Joel looks up from where he's sitting, mid-song, fingers still strumming away on the guitar.

"Hey. How're Tommy and Maria?" He asks, slowing his strums and finally setting down the guitar.

"They're good, same as always," You say, plopping down on the mattress and opening up the book. You don't notice, but Joel frowns.

"Ellie..."

"What?" You ask, looking up.

"I've been thinkin' lately, maybe, instead of readin' so much, you should...You know, try to connect with some of the people here?"

"Joel, no! How many times have I told you? All of them are idiots."

"Have you _met_ all of them?"

"I don't need to. I just know, okay?"

"Look," He puts his hand on your shoulder, squeezing lightly. You want to tell him not to touch you, except he barely did, and you found that when he did – it was a feeling you didn't want to end, "I know it seems pointless, but, I think there might just be someone here you could relate to. Even if it's only one person."

You stare at him for a while, eye contact never breaking, considering it. Could there really be someone here who thought an immune, comic book obsessed freak was cool? You doubted it. You were as weird as they got. The kids here probably never shot a gun before.

"I really doubt it, Joel."

He sighs, staring downcast for a moment before looking at you again.

"All I ask is you go to the movie tonight. It'll just be one night, okay? And if you hate it I won't ever make you go again. Deal?"

You knew you wouldn't win this.

"Fiiiiiine. Deal." You sigh, over dramatically, setting your book down and standing up. You stretch, yawn, and head out the door without so much as a goodbye.

AN: hey guys! sorry this chapter is kinda just a filler. honestly, im not really sure where im going with this story, but i have a slight idea. anyways, you can expect to see a new chapter every 1-2 days! 


	4. Chapter 4

When you enter what was essentially the town square – An open area between all the buildings, filled with picnic tables and benches just for these occasions (Movie nights, meals, and whatever else), - You're pretty much pissed off right away. Everyone's staring at you, like a UFO just landed and aliens were walking through and sitting down. You have to stop yourself from thinking about Savage Starlight.

But then it becomes a good idea. Yeah. What would Daniela do? She could handle this kind of thing, so why couldn't you?

You take a seat at one of the empty tables, staring downcast and biting the skin around your thumb nail, waiting for the movie to start so you could get it over with.

You're seriously kind of pissed at Joel. Why was he making you do this when he fucking knew there was no point? You were just going to sit here like an idiot for the next hour until it ended, where, right now, you could be reading Harry Potter! Or learning more guitar! Or...Swimming for Christ Sakes! That even sounded decent right now. You couldn't wait to go home, and tell Joel how much it sucked so he wouldn't make you come back and -

"Is anyone sitting here?"

Your plan is kind of forgotten all of a sudden.

"What?"

"I...Is anyone sitting here?"

There's a girl standing there, hovering over you. She looks to be around your age, maybe older. Seventeen or Eighteen at the most. Her hair is dark and curly, long, nearly half way down her back. She wore a blue dress, a pair of dark leggings underneath, and some leather boots that went up to her knees. It was odd. You rarely ever saw girls in dresses, not counting advertisements on the side of dilapidated buildings or peeling billboards. And her clothes were clean. Not a single bit of dirt or blood. They didn't even look very old. So weird.

It's only now that you realize you haven't replied, that you're just gawking at her. Though she doesn't really seem to notice.

"Uh, yeah, sure." She takes a seat and smiles at you. The movie begins and everyone's conversations dim down into silence. You're not really paying attention, for the first ten minutes or so, just glancing at her now and again. She seemed really focused, and you just can't figure out why. What was so appealing about these things?

She catches your gaze, and you quickly look away. She smiles, and leans in, whispering,

"You're Ellie, right?"

"Oh, um, yeah. That's me."

"I'm Miranda. It's nice to meet you."

You don't really know how to reply. It's weird, for the first time in over a year, you're talking to a girl your age, about normal things, in this normal place where no one gave a shit about anything. This should be a good thing. Should be a relief. But it isn't.

And it makes you feel guilty, because whoever the fuck else was still alive and trying not to get eaten or infected or worse, probably wished for a haven like this more than anything. And it wasn't that you didn't want it – Well, you just didn't really appreciate it. You're used to a life of adventure and danger and living for today and hoping for tomorrow and this just was not your natural habitat.

"Ellie?"

She's got that concerned look about her – The fact that she doesn't look annoyed is super weird. After all, you just keep zoning out on her.

"Sorry about that, um, Miranda?"

"Yes," She assures you with a smile, "I, ah, I realize we only just met and all, but..." She trails off until you nod.

"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to come over sometime? Or, we could just go somewhere. It's just, you're nearly always at home, you know? I never see you around and I'd really love getting to know you, so - "

"Yeah, that sounds great!" It's sudden. The words flow from your mouth without you thinking about it. Shit fuck fuck fuck no. Why did you say yes? It was such a stupid idea but -

"Oh really? That's so great! Just let me know when, alright?" She looks forward, and somehow, the movie's over. Already. She stands up, flattening the skirt of her dress, "See you, Ellie!" And she waves before walking away, skirt flowing with the sway of her hips.

Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be so bad.


	5. Chapter 5

That night, after you got home, Joel asked how things went. You wanted to say awful, so you would have an excuse to never go again. But clearly, that was not the case. You actually had...A decent time. You supposed.

So, you told him just that. You expected a 'Told you so', but he just smiled. And that was that.

So, it was the next day, and you were getting ready to go see Miranda. She lived on the next row over – That's what you called the area of buildings, rows, not streets – So, it was a pretty quick walk. You made your way over, and for some reason, the stares of the townspeople didn't bother you today. You didn't really feel like punching anyone in the throat. No, you were just...Going to see a friend.

You could totally do with this normal life thing.

It's not like you haven't done it before.

Well, no, technically you haven't. The QZ was different. Sure, you could go places. But those places were kind of limited. And soldiers were constantly on your ass and hounding you about every little thing you did.

And of course, you'd escape at night, with Riley. But you weren't just running freely. You had to be careful, or someone would probably shoot you.

You walk up to her home, a small house, about the size of yours, and knock on the door. She answers seconds later, and smiles, welcoming you inside. You walk in, and can't help but notice, her house is fucking clean.

Sure, the paint was peeled and the windows were boarded and the carpet had some stains here and there, but things had a place and it looked almost normal. She leads you into the next room, where she sits at a small table. You join her, on the other end. She's wearing a white blouse, with a long pink skirt. Like the dress from yesterday, they looked so clean and new. Seriously, where was she getting these?

"I, um, like your skirt," You say, feeling like a total idiot.

"Thanks! My mom made it. She makes all of my clothes."

Well that explains it.

The two of you engage in semi-awkward small talk for a while, and she makes the both of you some tea. You're realizing that maybe, you're the one walking it awkward. With your one word replies and mumbles. She was probably getting irritated and regretting inviting you and shit, say something decent!

"So, um, what do you like to do, like, for fun?"

"Hm...Well, I really love movie nights. But since I can't have those every day, I'm kind of a reader. I really love comics too, especially Savage Starlight. Have you heard of it?"

Holy shit.

"You like Savage Starlight too?" And suddenly you're at the edge of your seat, excited because, who was her favorite character? Which edition was her favorite? Did she like the Daniela/Ryan romantic relationship? This was too fucking cool!

"Yes, I love it! Have you read it completely?"

"Yeah, actually! I've been lucky to find all the comics.

"Oh, this is so neat! Did you like Force Carrier? That was one of my favorites!"

"Force Carrier was good! Deep Phase and Singularity were my favorites though."

"They're all so good!"

It was strange, the two of you just talked for what seemed to be minutes but was really hours. After a while, her mother came home, and she introduced the two of you. You expected her to be just one of the bitch moms who hated you and Joel. But she was actually kind of awesome.

It got late, and you made your way home, but something was strange when you went inside.

"Joel?" You call out, into the empty house.

He wasn't there. No worry, probably just with Tommy or something.

But then a few hours went by. You finished the next Harry Potter book and he was still gone.

"Somethings up."

You drop the book on your mattress, grab your pistol off the desk, and leave the house.

AN: sorry for such a short chapter! i plan to upload the next one, which will be longer, in about an hour. stay tuned.


	6. Chapter 6

You walk down the empty streets – And it was strange. What was it? Ten? Eleven? Usually some people were still out. There was a _little _bit of nightlife here. You couldn't understand why, but you had this overwhelming feeling that something was wrong. You head towards the town square, and you're immediately reassured.

Nearly everyone's standing there, talking amongst themselves. Everyone in the town must have been there. You glance around for Joel, but don't see him. Just as you decide to head back -

The alarm goes off. The one that meant the dam was getting invaded. What? Now? You dash through the crowd, on instinct, not caring that you're shoving innocent panicked people aside. It didn't matter. You needed to find Joel.

Tommy. Maybe he was with Tommy.

You run, out of the main city, and into the building that led to the actual dam, stepping out onto the metallic ground. It was dark, and cold, and you didn't see anybody. You duck down, behind a few of the boxes out there, waiting, for something.

A moment later, the other men ran out, their guns in hand. They looked to you, and quickly leaned down. One of them whispered,

"Ellie, what the hell is goin' on? Are we getting' attacked?"

"I don't know. Where's Joel?"

"Last I saw, he and Tommy were gatherin' everyone in the town square. Haven't seen em' since the alarm went off."

There's a silence from then, and you all wait, but hear nothing at all. You begin to move forward, guns at the ready, waiting for the sign of hunters or bandits, but nothing was there at all. You stand up from your crouched position, and the men do as well. You let out a small laugh.

"Wow, I guess it was a false ala-"

You're cut off by the sound of multiple screams from the town.

You say nothing. You just run, the men following. You all make it back to the town, and there's panic. People running, screaming, you see people banging on the doors of their homes, but wait -

Those aren't people.

You begin shaking. It's been so long since an encounter like this. You want to feel a rush of excitement, that exhilaration of, 'maybe I'll lose my life today', but you don't feel anything. You feel terrified, for this town, the people here. How did infected get inside? What the hell was going on? And where the fuck was Joel?

It's in that moment that you're tackled to the ground, one of those fucking things is on you, and when you impacted with the ground, your gun slipped out of your hands.

"Get the fuck off me!" You yell, struggling, and it's disgusting teeth are closing in on your jaw when suddenly, a bullet makes contact with it's brain, and the things limp and dead. You shove it off. looking around for your savior. The men are scattered, fighting off more infected and helping people get to their homes. You turn around and -

"We have to go, now," It's Miranda. She's holding your gun, in a totally incorrect way, shaking in fear. You're kind of really fucking shocked. She saved you? How did she not accidentally shoot you? You wouldn't question it. You grab her hand and she helps you up, and you find yourself not letting go as you run away.

She tries leading you to her house, but you know that's an awful plan. You can't hide there, and there's like, probably no supplies, so you take her back to yours, locking the door behind the two of you. You grab your trusty backpack, filling it with essentials, canned food, ammo boxes, your other guns – And then it occurs to you. You grab your revolver, the same one you'd stolen from some jackass back at David's little town. You hand it to her, and she hesitates before taking it.

"I – I barely know how to use a gun. I don't know how to reload it or aim properly or what the safety is or -"

"It doesn't matter, I'll teach you later. We need to get out of here,"

You check Joel's side of the room and. . .His backpack is gone. Not to mention, all of his weapons and supplies. What the fuck? Did he make it here before you? No way. He would've waited for you, or maybe he's out looking for you now -

It didn't matter. You pace around the room, kind of freaking the fuck out, then you look at Miranda. Little slip on shoes, the same skirt and blouse from earlier. Fuck no.

"What size shoes do you wear?" You ask, already digging through the few clothes you owned.

"Um, an eight," She replies quietly, staring at the gun in her hand like it was something alien.

"I'm a seven and a half. You can squeeze," You throw her a pair of shoes you'd never worn, that you'd grabbed for when your current ones wore out. She needed them more. You also hand her a T-Shirt that was a bit big on you. Unfortunately, with your height difference, you doubted your jeans would fit her.

"That skirts gonna be hell, but you'll have to wear it for now, I guess," You sigh, fastening your rifle and shotgun to the back of the bag before swinging it over your shoulders, "Let's go."

The two of you leave the now useless house, and slowly make your way down the row. You could still hear the screams and panic from the city, and upon closer inspection, a fire got started. Fuck, why was there always a fire in panics?

You stop in your tracks, turning to face her.

"We need to find Joel, okay? He'll know how to get out of here best. I know it's not going to be hard, but we'll have to cut through the city again. But you have me, so if you stay right on my ass -"

You stop, as you see tears rolling down her face.

"Miranda? What's wrong?"

You watch her completely fall to the ground, covering her face, as to not make noise as she sobbed into her hands. You lean down in front of her, completely concerned but having no idea how to help her.

"Ellie," She barely chokes out your name, "My mom's dead."

You open your mouth, but no words come out. You needed to go, to get out of here, to find Joel, but you couldn't tell this heart broken girl to move her ass. She never expected this. She was living a...Somewhat normal life, her in this somewhat normal town. She didn't expect to get attacked by flesh eating freaks and lose her mom.

And thinking about it, you didn't either. How did this happen? Why was everyone in the middle of town in the middle of the night? Why did the alarm go off but there were no hunters? Where did the infected get in from anyway?

You put your hand on her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. She looks up at you, her face crinkled up and tears everywhere.

"Miranda – I know it's hard but, I need you to tell me, why was everyone in the middle of town? What was going on before the attack?"

She takes a few deep breaths, trying her best to calm down. After a few moments, she's able to speak.

"Th-They called everyone into the middle of town, saying something about a rumor that was going around – A threat, that someone in this town had left secretly, telling hunters th-that we were here and we had supplies. People were going to k-kill us. They needed a headcount, to find who was missing."

How the hell did you not know this? When did they call everyone? Something was not right here.

"Okay, okay – And the infected, where did they come from?"

"Out of nowhere. We heard someone scream and suddenly they were everywhere. Ellie, they got my mom," She's crying harder now, and you wrap your arms around her. After a minute or so, the situation becomes more desperate.

"I know this isn't easy, but we have to go now, okay? Come on, and stay right behind me the whole time, you'll be alright, I promise, just come on."

She nods and you help her up. You make your way around the corner, to the next row, and finally into the city. Nearly half the people that were running in a panic are lying on the ground, dead, or gone. Where? You didn't know. Hiding inside, maybe.

You see a group of clickers (Shit, you thought it was just a bunch of runners. This is worse than you thought), all gathered in the center of the square, twitching and moving about. You reach into your bag, grabbing a bottle of alcohol. Miranda gives you a confused glance. You ignore it, grabbing a rag, and stuffing it inside. You light the molotov, and tell Miranda to back up. She does, and you throw it. It hits a few in the front, and luckily, the others congregate towards the sound, most of them burning with it. You notice the older girl has a look of disgust,but also one of amazement. It was kind of a precious face. You don't distract yourself with it for long though, waving your arm and having her follow you.

You're in the belly of the beast now, and they're all around you. You take out your 9mml, shooting the closest ones, and backing up as they ran forward. You empty the clip, and reload it in a panic, shooting until that one's empty too. You put your gun away, unhooking the shotgun. You blast at the closest one – A clicker – and it flies back, along with it's intestines. You're pretty sure she's about to puke.

Speaking of which, she was kind of badass right now. Even if she was shaky and had awful aim, she managed to kill a few, and she seemed surprised with herself. They continue to pour in, and you're quickly realizing that you didn't have the ammo for this.

"Come on!" You call, and you begin running forward. She follows close behind, and you look around. Some people are still running around. Idiots. Get inside, goddamn. Miranda screams suddenly, and you turn around, expecting the worse. Instead, you see a house, about fifteen feet in front of her, suddenly bursting into flames, just like a few of the other buildings around. But...What? The other fires weren't even nearby. But suddenly, a bunch of the houses were rising with flames, and you seriously needed to leave before this got worse than it already was.

The two of you sprint for the building – The one that led to the dam. It was your only hope of escaping, because as you turned around, you saw nearly every house was on fire. You suddenly flashed back, to that wooden cabin of a restaurant. You remember hiding behind booths and in the kitchen, feeling weak, having nothing but your switch blade. As that crazy asshole chased you around, with _your_ gun and a fucking machete. Your stomach twists, and you blink, mind returning to your body as you reached for the handle on the door – It was hot, like burning hot. You remember hearing something about this before. It meant there was a fire inside.

You turn around, fear evident on your face, looking to Miranda.

"We can't go this way."

"Why not?"

"I – I think there's a fire inside. Here, we'll try to find another way and -"

In the blink of an eye, the building connecting the city and the dam explodes, fire bursting from every direction. You're flown backwards, and your face smacks into the concrete. You quickly stand up, just to fall back down again.

Was this the end?

Fire, everywhere. You still heard people screaming, it never ended, like a song stuck on repeat. You almost chuckle at the thought, thinking back to when your MP3 Player still worked. Damn, that was back in the QZ.

You feel ready to die, in the heat and exhaustion and panic. You just didn't care. Joel was nowhere to be found. There was no way out. Nothing made sense about anything that was going on. You didn't want to think about it anymore.

But then you heard a scream that stood out from the others. It was close to you, high pitched and filled with terror and pain.

Miranda.

You try to stand up, but your body won't let you. Your eyes water in the heat around you, and you crawl forward, and suddenly, you can make out her body. She's lying on the ground and -

No. _No!_

You watch as one of those _fucking things _bites down into her neck. Blood flows from the gash, and she screams, her entire body tensing. The gun is still in her hand. She reaches up, her whole body shaking, and she screams with every movement. The thing is still on her and she's bringing the gun upward. The shoots the thing, right in the head, and it dies, flying back just a bit – No doubt because of the short range.

You watch her strain to hold up her head, and it falls back against the ground once the thing is off her. She's breathing in panicked breaths, crying and screaming. You crawl over to her side, coughing as the smoke overwhelms your senses. She blinks, tears falling from those beautiful blue eyes.

"Ellie," Her voice is a whisper, and it sounds so pained.

You can't say anything. There's nothing at all you can say. You watch as the ground below her becomes an increasingly large puddle of red. You look at the now dead runner, and lean your head down, barely believing it as tears welled up in your eyes.

"Hey...It's okay," She reaches out, shaking so much it scared you. And you touch her hand, holding it within your own, "I'm gonna go see my mom."

You're shaking your head frantically, unable to stop crying, for this girl you hardly knew. For the first time in so long, you found someone you could relate to and laugh with. She couldn't die. No, she couldn't! Faces flash within your mind. Riley, Tess, Sam, Henry. It was too much, it couldn't happen again.

"I'm so sorry," You choke out the words, and you hate yourself. You hate yourself for letting her die, for crying like a bitch, for all of this and everything that was happening. It was too fucking cruel.

She smiles at you, and it's the most pathetic thing you've ever seen. There was so much blood, and so many tears and it was too much.

"Goodbye, Ellie," She whispered, a whisper far quieter than the rest. She inhaled deeply, and her exhale ended slowly. And when it stopped, everything else did too.

She was dead.

"Miranda. . .Miranda, stay with me. Miranda!" You found yourself a sobbing mess, holding this dead girl's corpse in your arms. Looking into her eyes became too much, and you reached forward, with a shaking hand, closing them. Then you heard it.

Click. Click. Click. Screech.

You set her down, and stand up, barely holding yourself there. You felt weak, like you could fall asleep to never wake again. You see it, running towards you and making those god awful sounds. You reach down, taking the revolver from her and hold it forward. It's right there now and -

"Bang," You say, your voice weak, from both crying and the rawness of your throat in this fire. You shot it, and it twitched on the ground. You give it another, for good measure, and it stops, "And stay down. Bitch."

You put the revolver away, and take out your Shorty, a weapon gifted to you by Joel. He said he didn't really need it. Yeah. He'd change his mind about that now, you were sure.

If he was still alive, that was...

You couldn't dread on the past right now. All the death you've dealt with, all of it, you couldn't cry about it. You had to turn it into something else. And that thing was determination.

You'd find Joel, and you'd get the hell out of here.

You look around at the disaster. Dead bodies littered the ground, from both infected and real people. You see the engineers, the men who fought by your side, dead. The families. The husbands and wives and children. Normal people you'd seen every day, doing normal things.

You knew this kind of life wasn't real.

You stare through the flames with squinty, watery eyes, and there's seemingly no escape. There's fire everywhere you look, and it just keeps spreading. You feel dizzy, and you kneel down, accepting your fate.

You close your eyes, and moments later, everything is black.


	7. Chapter 7

When you wake up, your throat feels raw and charred, like a fire had burned for hours inside, only to just end now. Your eyes barely adjust to the bright light, the rays of light that shone through the trees around you.

Wait. What.

You sit up, a bit too quickly, and you suddenly feel nauseated. You wait for it to go away, it only takes a moment, and you look around. You're...In the forest. There was green all around, the dam nowhere in sight. Though, this was clearly still Wyoming. You could tell, by the moisture in the air, the sweet scent of morning dew, the feeling of early morning. You'd been all over the country last year. It was so obviously not some other place.

You want to stand up, but you're not entirely sure that you can. You still feel as weak as you did just last night, when you ran from clickers and runners and flames and everything. And -

Even in this moment, you can't really understand it all. What had happened? What had Miranda said? Some kind of announcement, that called everyone to town square. Because someone threatened to lure in hunters. How come you didn't hear about that? It was odd, both Miranda and one of the engineers had said it. And he had even said that Joel and Tommy were there.

And if all that wasn't confusing enough, how did the infected get in? Why did the fire spread in impossible ways? Was someone setting them?

And of course...

Why weren't you dead?

Last you remember, you lay against the concrete, choking and gasping on what felt like your last breaths. Everything around you was engulfed in flames, some things exploding. Ash fell into your already watering eyes, making you tear up more than you wanted to admit. Everything hurt, your body feeling weak and limp. You heard the screams of terror in every direction, of both living people and fucking infected. Everything was overwhelming. And then you fell asleep.

But now you were here, in the forest. Alone.

You hear footsteps from behind you, and you quickly bring yourself to your feet, ignoring the lightheaded feeling you get from the sudden movement. You reach back, grabbing for your revolver, and aiming it forward – But when you do.

"Whoa there," You lower your gun. And, although you can't see yourself, you know your expression is one of shock.

_"Joel?"_

What. The. Hell.

. . .

It was nearly a half hour later, and the two of you sat across from each other, a small fire in between you. It crackled and popped, and you couldn't stop staring within it, seeing images that set fear within you. Destruction, panic, an outbreak. It was like the infection had broke out all over again. Innocent people who didn't expect a thing to happen to them were just killed, or maybe running around as flesh craving, blood thirsty monsters.

You saw her dying, gasping for breath, the gash on her neck bleeding and bleeding everywhere. You saw her crying, but smiling too. You could still hear her last words in your head. You felt guilty, and you didn't know why. How could you have stopped it?

Joel stared at you. He looked concerned, but said nothing. It was strange. You hadn't felt so confused in so long. You couldn't remember the last time that nothing made sense. There was always something there to reassure you that everything wasn't falling apart. Like Marlene, when Riley died. And you were infected. Joel. Through Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring... Now. You supposed too.

Except not. He was right there and you had never felt so alone. He was so quiet, so distant. Had been ever since you'd arrived at the dam. For the first time in a year – No, it wasn't like the Boston QZ counted – For the first time in forever, your life had a sense of normality. No infected, no soldiers all up in your shit. Just, a bit of freedom.

But you didn't want it. From the beginning, it all felt wrong. Your life was empty, it lacked purpose. You weren't out fighting infected and hunters, wondering if you'd die in the next hour or years from then. You weren't under the watch of soldiers, or adults who found you to be an idiot because you were a kid. You had a house and belongings and you didn't want any of it.

But maybe the emptiness didn't stem from there. Maybe it was Salt Lake City.

He said that there were dozens like you. But there was no point. They stopped looking for a cure. Each time you'd press for more, he said nothing.

It just made no sense. You'd fallen into the rapids, and passed out from the initial fear. You don't remember much. Half asleep, foggy states, where you tried to wake up but couldn't. You remember muffled voices and continuous beeps. Eventually gunshots, fearful voices.

You remember waking up in the backseat of a car, dressed in some strange, paper gown. Joel told you everything, but also nothing. How could any of it be true? It just made no sense.

You remember stopping by an abandoned department store. He left you in the car with his 9mml, and went inside, bringing you new clothes and a pair of shoes. You remember arriving at the dam, a strange feeling within your gut. One entirely similar to the one you had now.

_"Swear to me. Swear to me everything you said about the fireflies is true."_

_ "I promise."_

_ "Okay."_

You hated this, not being able to understand. Everything that was happening around you meant nothing at all because you couldn't understand it. And no one had answers.

"Ellie, about yesterday-"

"Joel. I don't care about that."

He seems caught off guard, and he waits for you to continue.

"I...I know I've mentioned this before, a lot, and it's probably getting really fucking annoying, but-"

"The Fireflies."

"Yeah."

He sighs, and leans forward, staring downcast for a while. When he looks up again, you can't read him at all. You're just about to ask him what he's waiting for, and he starts talking.

"We found the Fireflies," He says, beginning his story the same way he did the first time. You're wondering if he's about to bullshit the same story to you again, but his demeanor is different. He pauses for a while, and continues, "You, ah, had fallen underwater. I swam through the bus, and grabbed you, and brought you to the surface,"

"The hospital was right there in front of us, but you were unconscious. I, ah, was tryin' to wake you up, your heart was goin' real slow. I was doin' chest compressions, listenin' for your pulse. Then it happened. They, uh, the Fireflies, two of them were right there. Told me to stand up, put my hands in the air. They didn't know who we were. And, uh, well, I was a little bit too panicked to really listen. The first man, he, ah, hit me with the butt of his gun, I passed out. When I woke up..."

"I was lyin' in a hospital bed. I was confused, haven't been in one of those things in years. Looked around, first thing I see is Marlene, sittin' there,"

"Whoa, what? Marlene was there? What the hell, Joel?" You can't help yourself for interrupting. That was kind of a huge fucking deal.

"I'm gettin' to that, just hold up,"

You nod, and he clears his throat, continuing.

"She, ah, was surprised we'd made it this far. I asked if I could see you, she told me no. You were bein' prepped for surgery,"

He stops, and stares at you. You stare back, but you have nothing at all to say.

"I was persistent, offended her apparently, because, well," He stops. He almost sounds weak when he says, "The surgery...It would'a killed you,"

You have a lump in your throat, but you gulp it away, avoiding his gaze. You figured that saving the world would have meant a sacrifice of some kind. Death was a possibility, yeah. You knew that, but it always seemed worth it to you. You were just some kid, and you'd be doing something great, for the whole world.

"I was tellin' her, there had to be another way. She didn't seem sure. There really were others like you, Ellie. The tests though, they weren't workin'. You were their only hope," He sounds almost angry as he speaks. Passionate, too, "She had one of her men escort me out. I, well, I killed him, took my things, and headed to where you were – Had to fight off an army of those bastards on my way up. I never stopped fighting. I couldn't let you die."

You remember a time when you envied a dead girl. It always seemed selfish, but you did. His daughter, Sarah. Twenty one years after an outbreak that killed her, he still loved her with all his heart. More than he could ever love you.

Because you were cargo, something to be dropped off. You were more ration cards to him.

Then you became...A companion. Maybe a little annoying, but you saw him crack a smile every once in a while. Whether it be from your passionate retelling of Savage Starlight, or the joke books, or just the little things you said. You stuck together, as all companions should.

And then, maybe, just maybe, you became friends. You exchanged stories of your lives. You talked about times in the QZ, or little things about Marlene. He talked about his daughter, and his brother. Even his wife, just a bit. He talked about football games and barbecues and acoustic guitar and sunrises. He talked about how it was all so simple, so ordinary. He said he couldn't believe how much he took for granted.

Then, Winter came. You remember every fearful day. First, fearful for Joel's health, and, of course, his life. On top of that, a decent amount of food. But then it became much more. You got to worry about these things within a cage. And then, you were almost butchered. But that wasn't the worst of it. No, you remember. He almost killed you, and once he had you, he knew he was about to do something far worse.

Never before, had killing a man meant so much. Before, it had been, 'You're a total asshole, who will probably just kill me, so', but no. Now it was, 'This is my life, and I intend to keep it'.

You remember Joel entering the burning building. He cradled you in his arms, and you remember the words he spoke.

_"Oh, baby girl..."_

It was on that day, that you and Joel had become more than friends. Best friends? Family? Lovers? Soul bound for life? Meant for one another? Not even in that shitty romantic way, but in the sense of dependence and need for each other. In the sense that the two of you had grown on one another, dealt with the worst of quirks, each bit of baggage. In the sense that you had struggled to survive along side one another, and you had to keep doing things that way. Together. That's where you were now. You remember how you felt last night. You couldn't be sure, a part of you knew it wasn't true, but you didn't know if you'd see Joel again. Were you dead or was he? It didn't matter. You were like best friends since birth, like a parent and their first born child, like a happily married couple, like everything that was good. You just couldn't exist without each other.

That's why Joel couldn't let you die, back at Salt Lake City.

And that's why there was no reason to envy a dead girl anymore.

Joel told you the rest of the story, how he broke into the operation room, killed the doctors, and took you. How he ran from armed men and hoped to god that you'd make it out. How he got into the elevator, reached the floor, and how -

How Marlene was there. How she told him he was doing the wrong thing, that he needed to give up.

Joel killed her.

You still aren't too sure how you feel about it.

This man, who you'd only known for a little over a year, had learned to know you better than anyone else. You'd saved each others lives countless times, done it all. And he saved you once again. He killed a small army of men and the woman who raised you to do it. How do you react to that?

It was strange, describing the feeling. It almost seemed wrong. You were mentally preparing yourself to die for this cause, and even Marlene was alright was giving you up to do this. Of course she was. She had been working since the outbreak to stop it. You were just what she needed.

You decide that you don't blame her or Joel. You love both of them, and now, Joel's the only one left.

That was okay.

Your own thoughts are beginning to confuse you, fog your mind. You decide to stop thinking for a while.

"Wow," You finally say, watching as his gaze returned from the ground to your eyes, "That's...A lot."

"I'm sure you can see why tellin' you wasn't, well, easy."

"Yeah, no doubt,"

One question still floated around in your mind.

What the hell happened at the dam?


	8. Chapter 8

Weeks pass, but they feel like years. You're back on the road, and it's the strangest thing in the world.

Joel was mostly silent. He didn't talk much at all, and when he did, it was mumbling you had to ask him to repeat. You really weren't sure what was up, but it was bizarre, how backwards it all felt. As if you were starting over, on the road, not necessarily safe, alongside you a tired, moody Joel.

It was odd to look at him now. His wrinkles had really become more. . .defined. The gray in his hair was spreading through the roots. He really was getting older – And you noticed, even in battle sometimes, if he ran too much or jumped too quickly, he'd groan in agony. Though he always insisted that it was nothing.

The silence that had overcome him, you wondered if it was because he'd told you about the Fireflies. Didn't he know you weren't upset with him? Well – Okay, you were kind of. But more because he lied to you in the first place. And everything about Marlene. . .That was tough. Really tough. But it was your life at risk and you should be grateful, right?

Who knows.

In the past weeks, you'd roamed through (mostly) abandoned cities, scavenging what little you could find after twenty years of hell. You'd slept on mattresses that had mold growing on them, chilled, even on summer nights, because you were used to layers of blankets. God damn, you really were kind of sheltered at the dam.

You would turn on your side and face Joel. He never faced you, always away. At the wall, or the door, but never at you. You knew he was awake. You could tell by the way he breathed. It wasn't calm, steady, repetitive. It was almost ragged. Like he was worried about something and it was keeping him awake.

These nights were the worst. It was a cold silence with an awkward air, and you'd lay there, waiting for him to speak first, because you knew you couldn't – But the words never came out of his mouth. They stayed, locked away, never to be heard.

What was on his mind?

You couldn't stop wondering. He had seemed fine, when you were still living there. It was only after everything happened. And then, you stop. Because you're pretty sure you know.

You sit up from your spot on the mattress, hugging your knees to your chest. You don't look at him, and he doesn't look at you. Your voice is a strange sounding whisper, the tone not fitting to the words, as if you'd forgotten how to speak.

"Joel," It's quiet, nearly fading into the night without a trace, "What happened to Tommy and Maria?"

For a while, there was no response. He continued to lay there, and you swear you saw him tense just a bit. Seconds that felt like centuries later, he said:

"Dead. They're all dead. Just us now."

You wanted to say something, _anything! _But what could you say? 'Oh, Joel, I'm so sorry', 'What happened?', 'Are you okay?', 'I don't understand'. You'd just sound like a babbling idiot, and the more you decided to say nothing, the more the questions poked at your brain, trying to come up with their own answer. You had nothing.

"Oh," You say. And the word falls flat. The room is silent, other than the chirping of crickets outside, the sound of wind blowing against curtains in shattered windows. Joel once said he hated the night now. When everything was normal, he fell asleep to the 'buzz' of all the technology in his house, or the TV was on, or he had music playing, or he'd hear the ice maker go off. There was always sound, a presence of something there that willed him to sleep. But now, there was nothing. Dead silence and bugs. He hated these nights, because there wasn't anything left.

Joel sits up, and that takes you away from your thoughts. He turns around, facing you, though his eyes don't meet yours. His gaze is averted to the ground, and his head is in his hands, as if he was crying. You wonder if he was for a minute, but you know Joel better -

"Ellie," He speaks, finally. He doesn't whisper like you. He doesn't sound pained or saddened, or like he's trying to speak through tears. He sounds numb, hardened by all that's happened. And that's almost worst, "Do you remember. . .What happened? Before I found you?"

"Yeah," You reply, and it all flashes in your mind. Grabbing your gun, seeing everyone in the middle of town, the alarm that went off, being alone on the bridge, the infected, Miranda, Miranda, Miranda. . .

Fire, so much fire.

"Tell me," Joel says, flat. You don't need to ask him what you're telling him. You know.

"You weren't home, and it was already dark, so, you know, I figured something was up," You begin, and he nods, for you to continue, "I had the feeling something was wrong. I grabbed my gun and went out to the square – And everybody was there. Then the sirens went off and I ran to the bridge, and even by the time the engineer guys got there, there weren't any bandits. So, while we were heading back, we heard screaming from the town. So we ran, and there were infected everywhere. I found Miranda and we went back to the house. I gave her the revolver and packed up my stuff. And, uh, I don't know. They were everywhere. She died. I thought I was dead too. I don't know."

By the end of your explanation, you have tears in your eyes. You're trying to stop crying, and you're trying to look away, but it's not making you feel any better. If anything, you just want to cry more.

You wipe away the unstoppable tears with your dirty sleeve, looking up at him. You notice he's finally decided to make eye contact – And there's a look there. It's something strange, like confusion and worry. You're not expecting it, but there's nothing that warms your heart more than the second he wraps his arms around you, head on your shoulder, and yours on his, the scruffle of his beard tickling your cheek. You sigh, and it's choked as your tears fall again. His hands stroke your back slowly, and he whispers so soft. . .

"Oh, baby girl."

And you're just stunned, because you're taken back again. To a time when your fingers and face were numb despite the fire around you. You were crying and bleeding and yelling and hacking away at David, his disgusting face turning to a bloody mush in front of you. You wanted to throw up or even look away but you couldn't – As the hatred overwhelmed you, and you had to keep stabbing. Then out of nowhere, there were hands on you, forcing you away, you screamed at the mysterious person, telling them they better not _fucking _touch you, and you remember that sweet voice melting the desperately disgusting situation.

"It's me, it's me!"

"Joel," You remember choking and stumbling on words, ones that you didn't quite know how to say, "He tried to-"

"Oh, baby girl."

That felt like so long ago, but in reality, it only kind of just happened.

And now you were here, in his arms, remembering that similar time, and how this moment gave you relief and hope.

It didn't now, because there was nothing to go back to. No goal. You were stuck in a world full of monsters – The people kind, and the infected kind. And everyone you loved was dead.

It was just you and Joel.


End file.
